Wolverhampton Wanderers face direct competition from Tottenham Hotspur over their "priority" transfer target in Sporting CP midfielder Joao Palhinha.

What's the word?

That is according to a report from Jornal de Noticias, via Sport Witness, who claim that Tottenham Hotspur are said to be "in the front row" for the signing of the 26-year-old Portuguese, with the outlet stating that Spurs are "preparing an initial offer" which does not bode well at all for Lage's side.

Though, the majority of the report focuses on Wolves' interest in the player, with the Old Gold side reportedly making the midfielder "a priority for summer."

At this point, it is Spurs who are said to initiate the bidding for the player, so Wolves will need to get in there fast if they are to rival the North London outfit for his signature.

A Neves replacement

Despite the original report mainly covering the fact that Palhinha is the club's main priority, the Old Gold seem to be in second place behind Spurs as things stand.

Arguably, they need the 12-cap Portugal international more than Conte's side, with Ruben Neves' future in severe doubt, with Lage speaking upfront about the situation and stating that he does not know where the future lies for the 25-year-old.

A move for Palhinha, who has been described as an "all-round" midfielder by Squwka, could provide a more than viable replacement option for the Old Gold side.

Despite this description, Palhinha does his best work defensively, as he is a holding midfielder by trade, but like Neves, has the ability to play as a central midfielder in a 3-4-3 system.

His defensive efficiency would present Lage with an option of playing a four-at-the-back formation with a three-man midfield, as he is happy to sit back and retrieve possession.

Palhinha's average of 3.04 tackles per game, with an elite average of 32.42 pressures per 90 serve as evidence for the aforementioned statement and surpasses Neves' average of 2.45 tackles and 18.95 pressures per 90.

Should Wolves lose Neves, €30m (£25.5m) Palhinha would step into the role seamlessly, judging by his metrics over the last year as per FBref.

With Spurs also on the hunt for his signature, the Old Gold must move quickly.

In other news: Wolves plot bid to sign "terrific" £12m-rated gem who "runs the show”, Lage needs him